Ken Whisenhunt has a Super Bowl pedigree

Give Ken Whisenhunt a franchise quarterback, and he’ll go to the Super Bowl.

Sure, it’s an overly simplistic statement, but there’s truth in it.

Ben Roethlisberger, then an NFL sophomore, went to his first Super Bowl with Whisenhunt calling the plays in 2005 for a rugged Steelers team.

Kurt Warner and the Cardinals got there three years later, with Whisenhunt as the head coach.

Now Whisenhunt will tailor his offense to Philip Rivers, a former opponent who led the Bolts to a 31-point rout of his Cardinals three years ago. “I’ve been very impressed with how he handles himself,” Whisenhunt said, also calling Rivers a “very good football player.”

The Cardinals still haven’t replaced Warner, who retired after the 2009 season, and that’s a big reason why Whisenhunt is now in San Diego.